If you’re a college student, you’ve probably heard of LinkedIn – a network where you can build your professional identity, connect with people with similar interests, and even search for jobs, internships, and volunteer work. Here are some tips to help your profile stand out!
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1. Stay consistent, and don’t have any grammar mistakes or typos in your profile. Make sure you have a relevant header and keep all of your profile information up-to-date.
2. Make sure you have a summary! Summaries are one of the first things recruiters/hiring managers view when looking at a LinkedIn profile. Make sure you touch upon your experiences, talents, and your overall objective.
3. Use a profile picture, but no selfies or cropped photos of you and your friends. Make sure your photo is clean, friendly and professional. This will help people recognize you and also help your profile appear more complete. Bonus points if you include a professional cover photo!
4. Personalize your LinkedIn URL. This is one of the first things I would recommend everyone do the moment they create their profile. Your URL will start off as a series of random letters and numbers, but you can customize it to be whatever you want (preferably something short and memorable, like your name). This will make your profile easier to access, both for recruiters/hiring managers and for yourself!
5. Get endorsed by friends, coworkers and superiors, just to name a few. It’s a great way to have your skills validated and emphasized!
6. Find and join groups, such as your school’s alumni network, or groups relating to your field(s) of interest. Not only will you have access to new information, but this will help you expand your network, which is the whole purpose of LinkedIn.
7. Be unique! Avoid overused buzzwords like “creative” and “team player.” Remember that your LinkedIn profile is your brand. It’s yours to customize however you want!